400 vendors evicted from Gulu market

Police on Tuesday evicted over 400 vendors from an open air market in Gulu town.

The vendors were evicted on orders of the Gulu town Clerk Francis Byarabanawe following a council resolution that they relocate to gazetted markets around Gulu municipality including the new modern market in Gulu town.

The vendors operating at the market behind Kakanyero hotel work up Tuesday morning to find their makeshift stalls brought down by the municipal authorities under the protection of police led by the Gulu district police commander Martin Okoyo.

Several vendors interviewed by Acholi Times expressed unhappiness with the conduct of the municipal council saying they were not given adequate time to relocate to the proposed markets.

However, the municipal authorities had for long been asking the vendors to relocate to other markets.

As the makeshift market was being razed, Laroo Division Chairman Moses Abonga asked the municipal council to  give the vendors more time and allow them  to remove their property.

Gulu has a new market built at a cost of 28 billion shillings with a loan from the African Development. It can host as many as 5,000 vendors but at the moment it is occupied by 4,400.

The Chairman of the new market, Geoffrey Opiyo said the new market still has space to accommodate those evicted from the temporary makeshift market.

As a scuffle ensured between the vendors and the municipal authorities, Gulu Resident District Commissioner, Lt Okot Santo Lapolo asked for the eviction to be stopped.

The vendors have now been given one and a half months to vacate the market.

By Ronnie Layoo